Improved cotton-press



Staten Wggggw M CHARLES W. MILLERD, OF MONTICELLO, ARKANSAS.

Letters .Patent N o. 88,059, dated March 23, 1869.

IIMPROVED COTTON-PRESS.

To all'whom it 'may concern Beit known that I, CHARLES W. MILLERD, of Mon-` ticello, in the county of Drew, aud State of Arkansas, have invented a new and improved Cotton-Press; and

I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear,

and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference fbeing had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

It consists 1n the application and arrangement of a screw and toggle-beam to the follow-block of a press,

as herein set forth.

In the drawings, A is the general frame of an upright press, having a cottonbox and bottom, and fol-A low-block G.

Thus far the press is as ordinarily made, the method of operating being to compress the cotton in the body of the flame, or box, down to a compact mass, of such dimensions that it may, after being roped, be rolled ont from the lower part of the press, at the lateral openings left by the removal of the doors.

Hit-herto, the mechanism for actuating the followblock downward consisted of various applications of the Wheel-and-ax'le cord, pulley, screw, or combinations of these, all of which were more or less complex, expensive, or diicult to operate, or keep in repair.

My improvement, however, is simple, cheap, and effective, and consists in the application of a screw, D, somewhat obliquely over the follow-block, by means of a beam, C, aiixed, as shown, to the upper part of the rame A.

T is beam aioids attachment for the journal-plate d, which latter affords the outer bearing for the screw. The other bearing is afforded by a plate, e, axed to thekframe'Ak, as shown.

The screw is furnished with a crank, f, or other suitable means for revolving it as a drum or pulley.

The'under side of the beam C is channelled, or grooved, and the shoe b, (which is formed with a hollow thread, in which the' screw works,)` moves to and fro on the screw, as the latter is turned, while the channel serves to guideand steady the shoe, thereby causing the beam C to sustain a portion of the thrust resulting from resist-ance to the follow-block, acting through the togglebeam E, which connects the follow-block with the shoe.

The follow-block is provided with a suitable number of rollers, g, arranged as shown, for the purpose of pre. venting the development of too much friction when the toggle-beam acts most obliquely, as it does at the' first part of its4 downward movement, and the last part of its upward movement.

The shoe lr is preferably of cast-iron, and is formed with a recess, in which the 'upper end of the togglebeam rests, and exerts its thrust, the end of the togglebeam being rounded towork smoothly in the rounded angle of the recess.

The pivotpin serves only to connect the beam to the shoe, and sustains no strain, except when the follow-block is being raised.

metal thrust-block a, aflised on the follow-block, and which receives the thrust of the toggle-beam, when cotton is being pressed. p

It will be seen that at the commencement of the 1n its most oblique position, and the purchase obtained CHARLES W. MILLERD.

Witnesses S. J. MATTHEWS, J. A. OWENS.

The lower end of the toggle-beam is pivotcd in a downward movement ofthe follow-block, the toggle is on it by the screw is least, but the resistance of the Y 

